Chelsea v Cardiff City: match preview

Chelsea’s record is still pristine while Cardiff have yet to win on their Premier League return, but the prospect of their visit to Stamford Bridge has already set Maurizio Sarri on edge. The Italian has been working with a skeleton squad over the past two weeks, and his time at Napoli exposed him to unpredictable results in the first game after international breaks. “Mentally, the match after the break is always very difficult,” he said. “And ‘materially’ because we will play against a very physical team in Cardiff.” The Welsh club have not won in this corner of south-west London since 1981, though Neil Warnock will relish ruffling feathers. Dominic Fifield